The Trauma Child: A thriller

What would you do if your child began saying the most shocking, offensive, vulgar things?

After witnessing her boyfriend murdered by a stranger, Neely Pfau and her ten-year-old daughter, Arial, flee to her childhood home in safe, rural Orchard, CT.

But normally sweet-tempered Arial is having trouble adjusting. She becomes insulting and foul-mouthed beyond her years. A child psychiatrist and a pediatrician blame the girl’s trauma. As Arial’s behavior worsens and even turns violent, Neely takes increasingly desperate measures to control her.

Then the worried mother learns a long-held family secret: her great-great-grandmother, Viola, was a notorious serial killer, and the last woman hanged in the state. Neely starts to suspect there is more behind her daughter’s drastic personality changes than trauma.

Far more.

Now Neely must free her child from the grip of evil.

Before her little girl is lost forever…

The author of top-selling psychological thrillers The Neighbors in Apartment 3D, The Last Star Standing, The Perfect Face, and The Little Girl in the Window is back with her signature brand of crackling suspense with twists you will never predict. For fans of Lucy Foley, Shari Lapena, Freida McFadden, and Gillian Flynn.

This new thriller with supernatural overtones will have you gasping in shock. Please be aware that when ten-year-old Arial is in the throes of evil, it's no-holds-barred language.

Praise for C.G. Twiles:

"A masterful storyteller... Whenever I begin reading a C.G. Twiles novel, I should cancel all my plans because it's nearly impossible not to devour her captivating stories in one sitting. ." —Liz Alterman, author of He'll Be Waiting and The Perfect Neighborhood

"[C.G. Twiles] is a master when it comes to thrillers. Nothing is ever what it seems, perception is never reality, and when things appear to be a certain way, they can suddenly and unexpectedly swerve and do a 180-degree turn." —Priya Malhotra, author of A Woman of an Uncertain Age

"It’s not often that you get something these days that you can genuinely say that you never saw coming… but this was it." —Sacha's Book Reviews blog, The Perfect Face review

“Mysterious sounds on the other side of a borrowed bedroom wall had me hooked from the get-go. Compelling characters, an unusual diagnosis, and a tightly-woven plot kept me glued to the story and to the protagonist, as she pushed through Brooklyn streets and through the lives of enigmatic neighbors. Twiles does an excellent job of balancing relationships, insights, and suspense, making The Neighbors in Apartment 3D one to read with your lights on and your doors locked.” —Susan Crawford, international bestselling author of The Pocket Wife and The Other Widow

“Gripped me so tightly, I didn’t skip over even the most insignificant word.” —Book Rant Reviews, The Neighbors in Apartment 3D review

“The Neighbors in Apartment 3D kept me guessing throughout the story and I enjoyed the character development as well. I would definitely recommend this one.” —The Towering TBR

"The Last Star Standing has everything I love in a book and blended it together. It had a reality music competition. It was a thriller. It kept me guessing. I loved it!" —Brey's Reviews